Hey, guys. I'd just like to apologize for the long delay on these last two chapters. They've been published for a while, and they were already online on my deviantART account (pokefan1234567890), but I've been having some trouble getting on this account. I don't know why, but my stupid iPad was being a giant pain in the ass and kept publishing a bunch of jibber-jabber for whenever I used quotation marks.
Thankfully, that should be over now. I got a brand new mac and with Microsoft office, so that problem should stop. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! And the next chapter should be up soon!
-x~X~x-
'Hey, Alexis. I'm sorry we haven't talked about the whole "I love Jesse" thing, and I'm really sorry that it had to happen. But we really need to talk, and I'm dead serious. Meet me on the roof of Duel Academy in an hour.
-Jaden
PS. I finally figured out what will make you see me as an adult.'
Alexis sighed exasperatedly, glancing away from the PDA in her hand out and the window of her dorm room. Normally, she adored the full view of Duel Academy island at night; something about seeing the light of the moon and stars being reflected onto the lake in front of the Obelisk Girl's Dormitory gave her a sense of euphoria. This time, however, all it did was make her feel depressed and dejected. She felt that this sullen feeling was fitting, considering this nostalgic view was the last thing she witnessed before bed on the night that the man she loved had broken her heart.
Alexis could never forget how much it hurt her when Jaden had told her that he loved Jesse. She knew that it was accidental, and that he most likely meant to say 'Alexis' instead, but even so the shock of hearing Jaden's words was too much for her to bare.
That night, two weeks ago, the second Jaden's mouth came to a complete halt was when Alexis' heart had been shattered to pieces. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she had known all along that Jaden had given his heart to Jesse, and the fact that it was so blatantly obvious and it took so much pain to arrive at this epiphany had left her both embarrassed and infuriated.
The first sign Alexis should have noticed at the time was the day before Adrian's 'Duel for Jewels' party, when Jaden had just learned he was left off the guest list. Alexis had actually wanted very much to go to an elegant party held by a rich dignitary - it was something that even girls like herself look forward to - but she was more than willing to give her invitation to him to make him feel better. But, thanks to Syrus for opening his big mouth, Jaden ended up spending the entire day with his arm slung over Jesse's shoulder, discussing Duel Monster topics that they would later discuss at their 'Slifer Slumber Party' later that night. Normally, she wouldn't mind as much that Jaden would be spending all his time with one of his guy friends - the guy liked being surrounded by his 'bros', and she could accept that - but she couldn't ignore the fact that Jaden sometimes blushed whenever Jesse touched him and became jealous of it. However, she left it alone for the time being, feeling that it was a fairly petty reason to be jealous.
Another point she should have taken into account was when she was close to wringing someone's neck - be it one of the boys or her own - during the moment when she saw Jesse resting in Jaden's arms after the bluenette's duel with Trapper, and even more so when she saw the look of compassion in Jaden's eyes. She had wanted Jaden to hold and look at her with such emotion and passion for a very long time, and seeing him perform this scene with anyone else left her feeling rather indignant. But still, she dismissed the idea of Jaden liking Jesse more than her as some odd thought concocted out of simple jealousy.
The final straw, and final knife wound in her back, was the day that Duel Academy and everyone in it returned from the other dimension; everyone except for Jesse.
Jaden spent hours combing through the vast number of students in the academy in search of his friend, and after learning that said friend was nowhere on the island he was left traumatized; he refused to listen to anyone, he refused to speak; it was like his whole body had become numb. It was as if he had cut himself off from the entire world. Hasselberry and Syrus had to literally carry Jaden back to his room to let the state of pseudo-comatose wear off.
Everyone else was worried about both Jaden and Jesse, and while she was concerned for Jaden's state of mind, Alexis was secretly ecstatic that Jesse was gone. She had the decency to act as if she was sad about the loss of their North Academy friend, but she was jumping for joy on the inside. She might have thought it was heartless to think that it was good fortune that her love's best friend was missing without a trace, but she was too happy to care. Jesse was gone, and she could be there to comfort Jaden over his loss.
However, once she heard from Bastion that another dimensional portal had opened up, and Ojama Yellow had stated that Winged Kuriboh might know about it, she was immediately worried that Jaden might go after Jesse, leaving her behind. Jaden had proven time and time again that he was both loyal and crazy enough to go to the ends of the earth for the people he cared about. There was no reason why Jesse would be any exception. And her fears were confirmed. They checked Jaden's room, but neither his backpack, his shoes nor he himself were anywhere to be seen. He was gone, and, unless they were wrong, he was gone after Jesse.
That was the moment Alexis had realized just how much Jesse meant to Jaden; that Jaden was in love with him. And, more importantly, she understood that Jaden was ready to leave her behind in a heartbeat if it meant helping him.
To this day, Alexis still didn't know why she decided to go help Jaden. She didn't know why, when Hasselberry had ordered her and the others to get ready, she did as told. She didn't know why she helped stabilize the dimensional portal with her Cyber Angel Benten. She had no idea how she could have helped the man that was ready to throw her down the river to save the guy he was in love with. The only theory she could deduce was just that; it was because she loved him more than anything else in the world - this one or any other - and she couldn't sit by when she knew there was something she could do to help. Part of her regrets helping him, while another part thinks that she would regret not doing so even more.
Nevertheless, knowing that Jaden will all ways favour Jesse to her far too much for Alexis to handle. After hearing Jaden say that he loved Jesse, her soul had essentially shattered. She ran out the door of Jaden's room without so much as giving him a chance to correct himself. She hasn't spoken to him since that day. She had even cut herself off from any connections to him, including limiting her contact with her friends as much as possible. She had basically isolated herself from the world, so she could try to piece back together her broken heart, with little results.
After reading over Jaden's message for probably the tenth time in the last minute, Alexis sighed, put away her PDA, and stood up from the computer desk she had been sitting in. She made her way towards the bed, spread her arms, and collapsed backwards onto the soft, pink comforter.
Alexis contemplated on what to do, feeling torn between two extremely difficult decisions. Most of her mind was telling her that she should not go; an admittedly petty form of payback for hurting her like he did, but still very tempting. Regardless, she knew by the sense of urgency in Jaden's message that he really was serious. To her knowledge, Jaden had never used the phrase "dead serious" in the entire time she had known him, so there was no denying how badly he needed to talk to her. Also, she felt like she owed him the chance to talk about the events that had unfolded two weeks ago, after everything he'd done for her. Whichever choice she made, it would impact her relationship with Jaden for the rest of their lives.
After a few more minutes of going over possible scenarios in her mind, Alexis sat up from her bed and made her way to the door. She knew in her heart that she needed to talk to Jaden, and discuss how their relationship was going to proceed. Whether they would remain friends or never speak to each other again, it would be made clear in less than an hour. She could feel herself trembling, but she wasn't stopping; her resolve to have closure with Jaden would give her the will to go to a fourth dimension if need be.
As Alexis took one final look back at her room before she shut off the lights, she couldn't help wondering what the last part of Jaden's message meant. Did it mean...?
-x~X~x-
As she reached the Duel Academy roof, Alexis wasn't surprised to see that Jaden was already there, waiting for her. He was standing a fair distance from the staircase, overlooking the harbour. She had a good idea why he was doing so; because he knew that Jesse was inside the large luxury liner that had taken up residence there.
She still heard a small voice in the back of her head telling her to turn around, that it wasn't too late to leave before Jaden noticed her presence. She ignored it, however, and marched up the the man she loved, planting her feet firmly beside him. She didn't even need to look at him to know that he had noticed her; she looked at the same boat that he was gazing upon.
"You must be happy," she said after a moment, the first words spoken since she arrived. "Seeing Jesse today, I mean."
"Yeah," Jaden replied, not tearing his eyes away from the boat. "He came by the Slifer dorm earlier. Kuriboh was happy to see Ruby, too. He loves playing around with her."
Alexis' fists clenched tightly, feeling a rush of anger running through her. "Then I guess you and him have something in common, playing around with girls."
Jaden sighed. "I deserved that," he admitted.
Alexis turned her head to face him, a look of anger in her eyes. "You deserve a lot more than that, but I'm holding back."
Jaden turned to face her as well, though his face was much more calm and relaxed; it hinted sadness, however. "Look, I just wanted to talk about... what happened on the night you said you loved me."
"You mean when you told me that you loved Jesse?"
Jaden nodded. "I'm sorry about that," he said softly, feeling a small blush creep up on his cheeks at the thought of his beloved. "I wanted to tell you something so that I wouldn't hurt you, but... I was so shocked from your confession that my head got all scrambled. No one's ever said that they loved me before, so you can't blame me for being a little stunned..."
Alexis sighed, folding her arms defensively across her chest and letting her muscles relax. She glanced to the side, feeling herself blushing as well. "Well... I guess saying something like that so suddenly might have thrown anyone through a loop..." The blonde looked back at Jaden, her eyes still filled with a look of sadness. "That aside, knowing that you spent so much time with me when you don't even love me... it really hurts, Jaden, it hurts a lot." Her hands clenched her skin, bringing a pale white colour to the areas around her fingertips. "If you never cared about me, why did we start going out?"
Abruptly, Jaden grabbed hold of Alexis' shoulders, looking her in the eye with a look of determination. "But, Alexis, that's not true," he stated firmly, surprising Alexis. "I never said that I didn't love you, Alexis, and don't you dare think otherwise... because I do."
Before she even knew what was happening, Alexis had been pulled into a soft embrace by the man she loved, and the latter's lips had brushed up against hers in a gentle, chaste kiss. Despite Jaden's words, Alexis wanted desperately to pull away, but she knew that there was no chance she ever would. She could never pull away from Jaden's caring, comforting, and succulent lips, the ones that all ways gave her a sense of security and pure bliss. She found herself kissing back not long after.
The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Alexis. She looked into Jaden's eyes as he pulled back to a respectful distance. "I love that you are one of the kindest people I've ever met. I love that you can make me laugh, even after something as torturous as one of Crowler's classes. And, I love that you were able to make me forget all about my pain and pull me out of the darkness, even if only for a little bit... But, I'm not IN love with you. You're not my soulmate, Alexis, and you never will be."
The dam holding back Alexis' sadness had finally broken, and her tears began spilling over her eyelids and down her face. Her voice had been almost lost, but she managed to choke out a response. "Y-You... You're in love... with Jesse? H-He's... your s-soulmate?" she asked in a hoarse voice, even though she already knew the answer.
Jaden nodded. "Yeah... I'm in love with him, and I have been since the day we met," he said. "I've never met someone that connected with me so well, and that loved everything I did as much as I do, or that would put themselves on the line for me like he did... That's why I was so adamant on everyone staying behind when I wanted to leave to find him. I wanted to show him that I was just as willing to save his neck as he was with mine, but I just couldn't say no to the people I care most about."
It was absolute torture for Alexis to hear Jaden go on and on about the man that had stolen his heart from under her nose, and she could even hear a small puddle of tears forming at between her feet. Even so, she knew that this was the closure that she needed so badly for her to get over Jaden, no matter how much it hurt her.
"So, I'm going to have to break up with you, Alexis. I'm sorry, but if I'm going to share my life with anyone, it'll be Jesse. No one else."
"I-I understand..." Alexis croaked out. "I... I just... want you to be happy... so, I hope you two... are really happy together..." She put her hands up to her face, concealing it as she continued her sobbing, and tried desperately not to sink to her knees and start whaling.
Jaden pulled Alexis in for one final hug, allowing her to bury her face into his shoulder and soak it with her tears. "I'm so sorry that it had to come to this. If I had just told you how I feel about Jesse that day, then this whole mess could have been avoided. I was just... so lonely after Jesse left, and I tried to fill the void he left behind with you, and I regret doing that so much... Please, forgive me for being selfish. I promise, I won't do it again..."
Alexis lifted her mouth from Jaden's jacket, just enough for her to mumble to him a startling response. "J-Jaden... Don't..."
"'Don't?'" Jaden repeated with a look of confusion. "Don't what?"
Alexis lifted her head, which was resting weakly against Jaden's shoulder, and wiped the tears from her eyes using her forearm. "Don't... Don't do this to yourself," she said clearly, lowering her arm. Her eyes were still red from her brief crying session, but even so she still looked content. "Don't think its wrong to be selfish once in a while, because it isn't. It's only human nature to want to put yourself ahead of others, and it still amazes me that it took this long for it to come to you." She turned her gaze away from Jaden's eyes and looked out over the sea. "Everywhere you go, most people will be looking out for themselves above everything and everyone else. Its all one big selfish world out there, and it'd be a miracle if something actually managed to change that, even slightly..." She turned back to face him. "Its not a bad thing to be selfish, Jaden, at least not in your case. You've been putting everyone else ahead of you for as long as I've known you. You've put your life on the line for over two years now, all for the sake of a world filled with people you don't even know and that don't even know about it or appreciate it, and you'd do it again in a heartbeat. You do everything you can to help someone you know is in trouble, and thats more than you can expect out of most people. Its alright to want something for yourself in return. So, if you want to be with the person you know in your heart that you love, you should go for it. Don't worry about hurting me, Jaden, just be selfish for once!"
Jaden was stunned. He never thought of himself as selfless, at least not as selfless as Alexis made him out to be. In his eyes, Jaden was just doing what any person should be doing, but he was like some kind of God to Alexis. She put him on a pedestal, and looked up to him as her saviour, even after he broke her heart. He couldn't help but feel a sense of euphoria and gratitude coursing through him.
For the first time in a long while, Alexis watched proudly as Jaden began grinning like an idiot; like HER idiot. She missed that grin, because whenever Jaden grinned like that, it meant that everything was going to be alright. And now, she was certain of their relationship. She knew now that Jaden and her were friends, only friends, but she was perfectly happy with that.
Jaden wiped away a few stray tears that he allowed to escape his eyelids and continued to grin. "Thanks a lot, Alexis, it was nice to know that nearly getting myself killed repeatedly was worth it," he said jokingly, causing both of them to have a brief laugh. "Seriously though, its nice to finally know that I finally have a shot with Jesse, and that the second most important person in my life supports me."
"Not a problem. Just don't forget that fact, okay?"
Jaden nodded. "I'll burn it in my memory. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go be selfish for a little bit and talk to Jesse. I'm not waiting until tomorrow to be with him."
Alexis nodded back. "Sure thing, best of luck, Jaden." She watched Jaden run for the stairs, but she suddenly remembered the postscript at the end of Jaden's message and called out to him. "Wait! What did you mean when you said that I'd see you as an adult?"
Jaden stopped abruptly, turning around to smirk confidently at Alexis. "I'm breaking our engagement."
As Jaden dashed down the staircase, leaving her behind, Alexis found herself in a brief state of shock. And then, out of nowhere, she burst spontaneously into laughter. She dropped to her knees and started cackling like a hyena.
Alexis couldn't believe that Jaden remembered that ludicrous bet back in freshman year between Jaden and the tennis captain, Harrington. The winner became her fiancé, and Jaden won, but he still had no clue what a fiancé was. Alexis could easily have slapped him on that day, for waging a marriage proposal over a duel and not even knowing it, but she really did know that it was just Jaden being his innocent and idiotic self, and she couldn't be mad at him for that.
As Alexis managed to get back on her feet and quiet her roaring laugh to a hearty chuckle, she knew that Jaden was only half right. As childish as it was, for her to see him as an adult, she wanted him to know what he technically was engaged to her, but she also wanted him to give her a real proposal. She wanted to marry him because he loved her, not because of a silly bet, the consequences of which he wasn't even aware of.
Alexis sighed. "He really is an idiot..." she said. "But... he's a grown-up idiot." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her PDA. She went into her Video chat function and, after entering a certain recipient, held it up to her face. The screen soon turned on. "Hey, can we talk?"
-x~X~x-
"And, thats how it all went down," Alexis said, resting her hands on her lap with one folded over the other. "Jaden ran off to be Jesse, and I finally got closure."
Atticus sat in his seat, utterly shocked by Alexis' story. "I... I still can't believe you and Jaden were an item," he replied, taking a quick sip of his coffee, "and I never knew about it."
After her call, Atticus agreed, almost instantly, to met up with Alexis at the Sanwitch Café, a new attraction that had recently opened in Duel Academy. The two, not including Ms. Dorothy who was working behind the counter, were the only ones in the place, and they shared a table, sitting across from one another.
It was Ms. Dorothy's idea to renovate the card shop, and, after receiving a generous grant from Kaiba Corp., she went all out with it. The walls were painted with murals of various famous duelists in some of their most well-known duels; such examples include Yugi Motou's Battle City duel against Seto Kaiba, Yusei Fudo's Turbo Duel against Jack Atlas during the Fortune Cup and Yuma Tsukumo facing Vetrix in the World Duel Carnival. In larger areas where there was little room for another mural, Ms. Dorothy had hung several picture frames, each containing pictures from memorable duels in the past from Duel Academy. A good number of Jaden's duels were on the walls.
The tables had been replaced with special Hologram Duel Tables, produced by the Leo Corporation. Each one acted as miniature version of a Duel Field, producing holograms of the cards as if they were in a Duel Field or if they were using Duel Disks.
Aside from the interior changes, the Café acted almost exactly like the card shop did, serving various foods, drinks, and not to mention the wide variety of starter decks, booster packs and duelling accessories. It was a very popular hangout spot for Duel Academy students, Jaden and his friends especially.
Alexis chuckled softly. "Yeah, well... Jaden made it pretty clear that he didn't want anyone to know, so I tried very hard to keep it a secret from everyone; you especially, considering how... for lack of a better word, intense you can be when it comes to the subject of love."
Atticus grinned sheepishly, scratching his pink-tinted cheeks. "Guilty a charged," he said. "What can I say? I'm the kind of guy who knows his way around the ladies."
Alexis chuckled. "Yeah, whatever you say," she said teasingly. "Just remember, Jaden's had more dates in the last two months than you have." Alexis sighed contently, glancing around the Café with a look of nostalgia. "This place was where I had my first date with Jaden, actually. You wouldn't believe how nervous he looked. I still don't think I've ever seen him sweat that much."
Atticus chuckled back. "That's not hard to imagine, to be honest. Innocent-types like Jaden tend to end up either sweating through their shirts, wetting themselves, or puking by the end of their first date." They both laughed.
Alexis sighed contently, stirring her drink with her straw. "Jaden... I still love that little goofball, but I am glad that he'll be with someone that I know will make him happy."
"To be perfectly honest, it was pretty obvious that Jaden liked Jesse. Friends just aren't that close and touchy-feely as those two, and he was never that way with anyone else..." Atticus gave his sister a warm smile. "Even so, I still kinda held out hope that Jaden would forget about Jesse and fall for you. I always knew how much you loved him, and, despite his numerous flaws, he's an awesome guy. Before Jesse came along, I imagined that I'd be walking you down the isle at your wedding, giving you away to him. Guess that's not gonna happen anymore."
Alexis blinked curiously, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't know you thought about stuff like that."
"I do," he replied with a nod. "I'm always thinking about you, and about who's gonna take care of you when I'm not there to do it. A big brother constantly worries about his baby sister; it's like our job. We all have an almost obsessive need to protect our sisters until Mr. Perfect comes around and takes over... and I felt that Jaden was him. But, I guess I was wrong. Don't worry, though. I'm sure you're Mr. Perfect is out there somewhere."
"Aw, Atticus..." Alexis smiled. "It's sweet that you feel like you need to protect me, but I can take care of myself. Still, I appreciate the sentiment. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Atticus replied. He reached into his deck box and pulled out his deck. "Wanna have a quick duel before we head back? For old-times sake?"
Alexis pulled out her own deck. "Sure." Just as she was about to place the deck on the table, her PDA began to ring. She pulled it out, seeing that Jaden was attempting to call her through a Video Chat. "Oh, what does he want this time?" She accepted the call and held the device out. "Hello? Jaden?" Alexis was surprised when she saw not Jaden's face on the screen, but instead it was Arron's. Judging by his expression, slightly narrowed eyes and a furrowed brow, he did not look like he was not in a very good mood. "Arron? Why do you have Jaden's PDA?" she asked.
Atticus tilted his head to the side. "Arron? ...You mean that other guy from the North Academy reps?" he asked in a hushed voice. Alexis nodded to him, but turned her attention back to the device in her hand.
Arron skipped the question given to him and instead chose to reply with one of his own. "Answer me this, Alexis. Did Jaden really break up with you on the roof just a short while ago?"
Alexis raised an eyebrow. "Yes," she said slowly, feeling slightly confused. Arron grimaced at the answer. "Might I ask why you wanna know?"
The view on Alexis' PDA was tilted, revealing Jaden in the background. He looked as if he had been crying recently, considering his eyes were looking red and puffy. He was sitting awkwardly at a fancy-looking table with his hands on his lap, staring down at an elegant teacup. "I'm here with Jaden now, and I'm trying to sort out the giant mess this idiot managed to create ever since Jesse came back to NA."
Alexis sighed. "Jaden making a huge mess of things? Why does this sound so familiar?" she asked sarcastically, smirking slightly. This really was the relationship she was meant to have with Jaden; bailing him out of trouble every time he did something stupid. She might as well be his handler at this point, and she would always do it with a smile. "Alright, what'd he do this time?"
"Jesse went to go find Jaden earlier tonight, but he found him on the roof with you." Arron began. "From what I heard from Jesse, Jaden was confessing his love for you and then he kissed you, but Jaden says that Jesse misunderstood the situation, because he apparently broke up with you after that and then went to go find Jesse. Either way, Jesse's lying in bed right now, heartbroken because he thinks Jaden's a complete jerk..." He took a moment to glare bitterly at Jaden. "Can't say I blame him, considering the amount of chaos this guy's stirred up, but I digress. I just need to know your side of the story so I can put two-and-two together, and see what I'm willing to do to help Jaden get together with Jesse."
Before Alexis could even begin, Atticus snatched the PDA from her hand and held it out in front of him. "Here, I'll explain it," he declared.
Alexis blinked, lowering the hand that was now hanging empty in front of her. "Atticus, what are you doing?" she asked.
Atticus looked around the device and smiled. "I'm sure it was hard enough telling the story once to me, so I'm absolutely certain that you're not ready to go through that again so soon." He stood up from the table and pointed for the exit with his free hand. "I'll go outside and get this all cleared up. You just wait here, okay?"
Alexis hesitated at first, feeling oddly like it was her responsibility to help Jaden with this dilemma. A moment later, she nodded, smiling. "Okay... thanks, Atty."
Atticus' face visibly twitched at the mention of his old childhood nickname, his mouth but it quickly formed back into a smile. He took Alexis' PDA with him as he walked outside the Café, shutting the door behind him. Alexis took a relieved sigh, leaning back against the seat. She let her eyes dropped as she took a deep breath, for the first time in a while feeling relaxed and happy.
"Good boys, both of them."
The Obelisk's eyes shot open to the familiar voice. She saw Ms. Dorothy standing beside her with a serving tray in her hand, on top of which rested a cup of hot chocolate. "E-Excuse me?" she asked, slightly confused.
Ms. Dorothy smiled. "I'm talking about your brother and Jaden," she said. She began to clear the empty glasses from Alexis' table. "They really are sweet boys, especially when it comes to you. They may make things difficult from time to time, but they try their best to make you happy." She placed the teacup on her tray in front of her. "I guess that really shows how much they really do love you. You really are a lucky girl, Alexis."
Alexis waved her hands defensively. "Oh, I didn't ask for another drink..."
Ms. Dorothy winked. "It's on the house, same with the rest of your order. Consider it a Christmas gift."
"Oh... Well then, uh, thanks, Ms. Dorothy... Oh, and also thanks for not telling anyone about Jaden and me."
"Not a problem, sweetheart. Merry Christmas." And with that, Ms. Dorothy returned back behind the counter, heading into the supply room behind it.
Alexis looked down at the hot chocolate in front of her. Ms. Dorothy was right; she really was lucky to have a brother and a best friend that loved her so much, and that she loved just as equally. A lot of people didn't have what she did, and while both of these boys tended to get on her nerves more than once a day, she was happy to have them in her life, all the same.
The Obelisk took a sip of her hot chocolate, smiling brightly at the unexpectedly sweet taste. She glanced to the door, noticing her brother walking back in to the café. He took his seat once more, placed Alexis' PDA on the table in front of her, and formed a bridge with his hands, resting his chin on it. He had a proud grin stretched across his face.
"What happened?" Alexis asked. "Did you get things straightened away with Jaden?"
Atticus chuckled. "Oh, I did more than that," he said, adding in a mischievous chuckle.
Alexis' eyes narrowed, glaring at her brother anxiously. "Oh, God, what are you up to now?"
Atticus only smirked. "You'll see..."